Each verse of the English version of the Bible has been translated in Australia into text message-speak, so called "SMS-Language" to allow its lessons to be disseminated more easily.

"The old days when the Bible was only available within a sombre black cover with a cross on it are long gone," said a spokesman for the national Bible Society.

"In da Bginnin God cre8d da heavens & da earth," it begins. The Bible Society in Australia scripture director George Rodriguez said only the spelling of the Bible had been changed for the project, not the language.

"It's a logical step. Our aim at the Bible Society is to get the Bible out there among the people and this is a very effective way of doing it." His son Michael spent six weeks translating the Contemporary English Version (CEV) Bible into text messages.

The entire 31,173 verses can be downloaded for free on the Bible Society's Web Site:
http://www.biblesociety.com.au/smsbible/download.html and sent by mobile phone.